They Don't Know We Know They know We Know
by lin090
Summary: Canon!verse: Remember that scene in friends? They don't know that we know they know we know? Well Sam knows [For anyone that hasn't seen that scene, this is fluff and Dean/Cas]


SAM:

It was beginning to get really annoying. Not the covert looks or the poor excuses to turn in early - or even Dean's sudden announcement he couldn't sleep with Sam's snoring and he needed his own motel rooms.

It wasn't even the occasional shouts that would wake Sam at snooze o'clock in the morning. He'd groan and press his fists to his eye sockets to keep the unwanted image from forming before pulling the pillow over his head to sleep again.

The annoying thing was that they still hadn't told him.

After all this time. Four months if Sam was right. He'd known for sure for three but he guessed it had been going on for longer. Guessed it had started the same time Dean had stopped flirting with women completely.

Sam had thought perhaps he'd been depressed, or finally grown out of his teenager like need for empty sex. Now he knew it was because Dean had found something better. Someone. Cas.

At first he hadn't minded. He knew his brother well enough to know this hadn't been easy for Dean. He'd had to make the transition from the closet of his own mind to card carrying angel seducer.

Not that Sam was sure it had been Dean who'd done the seducing. Cas always had been a dark horse.

Dean would be rallying against the attraction inside of him. He'd have fought it, tried to trample it down until it became too much.

Dean didn't allow himself to love. And Cas was so far beyond a one night stand.

He was Dean's best friend. Or at least his best friend who wasn't Sam. The one person Dean felt comfortable with other than Sam.

The angel was a tightass, stuck up, intent and serious otherworldly nerd. For some reason though he and Dean just seemed to fit. Sam had never seen Dean relate to anyone the way he related to Cas. He'd never seen Dean's eyes track anyone the way they followed Cas across a room. He'd never seen Dean fight with anyone quite as he did with Cas.

But that was months ago.

Sam was sure Dean must have enough of a grip on it by now to at least tell him even if he didn't want to discuss it.

Sam would listen. Sam would tell him it was alright, that he understood and was glad.

But no. Dean continued to, if not flat out lie, then skirt the issue at all costs.

Sam had had enough.

* * *

"Bar tonight?" Sam asks sitting at the motel room table beside Dean. It's too content for his liking, not with all the secrets his brother's keeping. Cas is silent but there's a ghost of a smile on his lips. Dean's playing with his gun. Cleaning it supposedly, but he does that too much and Sam secretly knows he just enjoys the task of opening it up and putting it back together.

"Not tonight Sammy," Dean replies without even looking up.

Sam kicks his foot out under the table just to make sure the idiots aren't playing footsie.

"Fine. Cas, you're coming," Sam says breezily getting to his feet. He grabs the angel by the shoulder and pulls him up, before turning him and marching him out the door.

Cas's face is a picture. He turns back to Dean with fear and confusion in his eyes.

"Sam?!" Dean calls as if he can't believe his brother just picked up his angel. After several silent seconds Sam hears footsteps following.

The bar is crowded and Sam immediately sets to hunting for a pretty girl, exactly Dean's type. He sees a group of girls and his annoyance makes him bold.

"Hey," he tries as the supposedly secret lovers order drinks at the other end of the bar. Dean picks the ice out of his glass and holds it up to Cas's lips as the angel swipes at him. Dean looks almost dreamy as he laughs. Sam can't believe his brother. He'd be happy for him if he wasn't such a liar.

"Hey," one of the girls says. She's a tall and curvaceous with red head.

"Look I know this sounds weird but I need your help."

He points out the two oblivious love birds as the girls giggle and agree to help. They love the idea of playing tricks on Dean and ultimately helping the "cute" (their words not his) couple.

They've set a plan a few minutes later and Sam returns to Dean and Cas.

"Hey," Dean grins with a raise of his eyebrows. "See you scored a bunch of hotties."

Sam's smile is a real one, but not for the reasons Dean thinks. "Yeah. They're gonna come and grab a drink with us in a minute. Sara's really interested in you Dean. I told her you were a mechanic and she thought it was cool."

"Me? Why?"

"Because when was the last time you got laid?"

Dean opens his mouth to answer but then shuts it again. He looks vaguely like a fish gasping for air but perhaps even more vacant.

"Cas I told Emma you were a teacher from Massachusetts in town for a week." Sam turns his attention back to Dean as he receives the full brunt of the look of an angry hunter about to explode. "She thinks you're, and I quote, a hottie."

He grins as Dean's stare goes even darker, pretending to ignore it and instead points out the leggy brunette with a body like a catwalk model.

Cas is confused. He didn't react to news of Sara. Now he just grows increasingly pensive.

"She promised to go easy on you because you don't get out much."

Dean's practically glowering by the time the girls come over. Sam makes big group introductions but it's clear that Sara and Emma know who they're heading for and immediately separate their targets.

Sam sits next to Amanda, a small dark haired woman with large dark eyes.

"Isn't this slightly mean?" she asks with a wicked smile.

"Oh they deserve it."

She laughs, the sound almost as intoxicating as the wine Sam's brought for everyone.

They can overhear Emma talking lightly to Cas. She's sweet, keeping things simple and staying away from anything too outright sexual. Cas is responding well. The angel likes straight questions, ones that aren't loaded with double and triple meanings. The only one Sam's ever seen Cas play word games with is Dean. Everyone else he simply stares down and tells them to be more succinct.

Emma though is playing for Dean. She rests a hand on Cas's shoulder, stroking the collar of his white shirt.

Cas might not be noticing the way she's posturing but Dean sure is. Sam can see him a few feet away. He's trying to be polite at least but he's not managing very well.

Sara is being as brazen as Emma is subtle. She's half draped herself over Dean's lap. The few snatches of conversation Sam has overheard are loaded with every innuendo in the book. Dean can't fail to know she wants him. Still all his attention is on Cas.

* * *

DEAN:

The night gets uncomfortable very fast in the form of a pretty, curvy brunette

Dean doesn't care for the red head in his lap. She's gorgeous in that way every man would fall over himself to have. Straight men anyway and tonight Dean can't even pretend.

It's the brunette that bugs him.

She's pretty, thin and long like a dancer. Once upon a time he would have imagined the gymnastics she could do between the sheets and a hot sweat would form on his skin. Now he's sweating for an entirely different reason.

She's touching Cas's shoulder lightly and Cas is smiling - the fucker's actually smiling! They're deep in conversation and Cas's usual awkwardness hasn't once crossed his face.

And now she's rubbing his collar between finger and thumb.

He wants to charge over there and pull Cas from her grasp, but he knows he can't. Not with Sam watching. He's not ready yet. So not ready.

It's all new. It's all so fragile and breakable that Dean can barely dare to touch it himself.

Sometimes he wakes up wondering if today is going to be the day he finally shatters his own heart, the day he snaps that thin bond between him and Cas.

Dean knows he's a fuck up. He knows he breaks everything. He gets angry instead of facing his fears. He lashes out when he really wants to love.

Cas takes it all, understands. But for how long?

The model he's talking to won't be enough to break his angel. But maybe she will. Jealousy rises hot and angry inside Dean.

When Sam excuses himself to the bathroom Dean steps round Sara to Cas.

He's buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of Cas's neck before he can stop the show of possession. Below him Cas shakes his head gently, wide blue eyes looking up at Dean. One night, he's saying, this is one night and then they can go home and curl up beside each other. For Sam's sake he's saying.

Dean drops his hand, missing the contact instantly.

He looks between Cas and Emma. One confused and compliant, the other beautiful and knowing. Then he looks to Sara who slides a hand across the back of his shoulders.

He thinks of their lack of reaction to his possessive display and the way Emma hasn't once looked around confused by something odd Cas has said.

"He knows!" he realises suddenly and slaps a hand to his forehead.

"Busted," Emma shrugs, her beautiful grin wide.

"You really have it bad don't you?" Sara steps back, her hand dropping from his shoulders. Instantly Dean reaches for Cas, moves behind him with an arm across his chest, pulling the angel's back into his chest.

"The hell is Sam playing at?"

"Well you guys are kinda hiding this from him," Amanda shakes her head.

"Not on purpose!"

Cas looks up, his eyes incredibly blue as they turn towards the ceiling. "There was never a good time."

The girls bite their lips and shake their heads.

"He just wanted you to know it was ok with him," Sara shrugs. "But he was pissed at you too and so we agreed to help."

Dean leans his chin on Castiel's head, breaths in the familiar scent of sky and wind and feathers.

"Well now you can help us get him back," he clucks and Cas groans.

* * *

SAM:

Sam had hoped that things would be at breaking point by the time he got back from the toilet but he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Dude we're off," Dean grins, slapping him on the shoulder and raising his eyebrows. Sara is under his arm looking endlessly amused.

"Uh yeah man," Sam manages, panic running through him.

"I've got the impala. But Amanda," he punctuates with another raise of his eyebrows, "has agreed to take you home."

Dean turns to head out but Sam's struggling. "What about Cas?"

Dean shrugs, he couldn't care less his face says. "Angel airways? Unless Emma's made some serious headway. God bless the girl, she is a find."

Sam follows Dean's look to see Cas sitting at a small table, Emma opposite him. Their heads are together, they're talking in hushed whispers. As he watches Emma hooks Cas's leg with her own, playing under the table.

Sam groans inside. He hadn't expected that.

"One more drink Dean," he tries. "I want to toast my brother."

Dean's face lights up. He steers a giggling Sara back to the bar.

Sam practically wrenches Cas up as they pass.

"Order something will you," he growls at the angel before taking Amanda's arm.

"Do they know?" he asks when they're a safe distance away.

For a moment she bites her cheek but she's not one who can do innocent and the wicked cut of her eyebrows gives her away.

"They know."

Sam's almost angry at his brother, but in other ways he's amused. At least Dean hasn't dumped Cas for some drunken bar girl.

"But they don't know we know they know."

Amanda crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, something Sam bets she does a lot. She'd got it down to an art.

"This is not going to end pretty," she proclaims before heading back to the others.

Sam grabs his drink. "To my brother Dean. What can I say? You are my brother and I love you. Even though you drive me insane." He clanks the neck against Dean's own beer as his older brother nods in agreement. "And to Cas and Emma. Who have really hit it off tonight."

"Kiss!" Amanda shouts beside him, his co-conspirator.

Cas immediately looks terrified. Dean horrified. Even Emma's smile turns plastic.

"I... can't," Cas says dropping his eyes.

Emma rests her hand over his on the bar. Sam thinks she must mean to comfort him but it's the wrong move. Dean practically growls as he steps forward.

"I can't," Cas reiterates, stronger this time.

"Why Cas?" Sam asks.

"Because I'm in love with Dean."

Dean immediately reaches for Castiel's hand, pulling him into his side.

There are woops and cheers from the girls. It catches in the bar as people turn to look.

"I love him," Cas says again. His jaw is set, back straight. Nothing is going to get between him and Dean. A round of applause starts from the bar.

"I knew you guys were... you're that serious?"

"Yeah," Dean smiles and Sam goes to hug them both.

"You're a dick you know that?" Dean says crushing Sam to him.

"You could have told me."

"Yeah I know." Dean pulls back. "It wasn't about you Sammy. It was me. I couldn't handle it before now." He nods, patting Sam's back and bringing Cas in even closer.


End file.
